Issued by Daniela Ellerbeck on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 20/06/2025

The FW de Klerk Foundation proudly marks the 30^th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, inaugurated on 14 February 1995 by President Nelson Mandela.

“This Court has stood as a pillar of our democracy: Upholding the Constitution, advancing human rights and protecting the freedoms of all South Africans,” says Christo van der Rheede, Executive Director of the FW de Klerk Foundation. “Its establishment was made possible by inter alia the democratic reforms initiated by President FW de Klerk in 1990, which laid the groundwork for a just and inclusive constitutional order.”

“Over three decades, the Court has delivered judgments that have entrenched the supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law and safeguarded human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms,” says Daniela Ellerbeck, an attorney and the Foundation’s Constitutional Rights Programme Manager. “As we mark this milestone, the FW de Klerk Foundation reaffirms its commitment to making our constitutional democracy a reality for all South Africans. We call on all South Africans to honour and protect the institutions that uphold our freedoms and to remain vigilant in defending the rights enshrined in our Constitution.”